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Hungary’s PM says ready to ‘occupy’ Brussels to bring EU change

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban waves to the crowd after delivering a speech on March 15, 2024, in front of the National Museum building in Budapest, on the occasion of National Day. (Photo by AFP)

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has threatened to stage a march to Brussels and “occupy” the heart of the EU ahead of the European Parliament elections.

“If we want to defend Hungary’s freedom and sovereignty, we have no other choice but to occupy Brussels,” Orban told his supporters at a rally in Budapest celebrating Hungary’s national day, which commemorates the 1848 Hungarian Revolution against the Habsburg monarchy.

“We will march to Brussels and bring the change to the European Union ourselves.”

Orban is at odds with Brussels over a range of issues, ranging from EU regulations targeting local farmers, sending weapons and munitions to the Kiev forces fighting against Russian troops, and maintaining economic ties with Moscow since it launched its “special military operation” in Donbas in 2022.

The EU actions are hitting farmers, hurting the middle class, damaging companies, “and on top of all that, (taking) Europe into war” against Russia, Orban said.

He insisted that EU policies were benefiting a few and were against the majority of the people it was supposed to serve in Europe. “We will not accept that Brussels left Europeans alone, moreover, it turned against them.”

Meanwhile, opposition parties staged anti-government rallies across the capital city of Budapest.

Hungarian opposition parties stress the importance of working together with Brussels.

“No matter what faults the European Union has, this is the club that we are a member of,” said Peter Magyar, a businessman who organized the rallies.

Last month, Magyar made provocative remarks about the inner workings of Hungary’s government.

He said on Friday, “It is possible to live without democracy, but not really worth it,” adding that the government can be defeated in democratic elections “maybe sooner than many think.”

Pollster Median conducted a poll published by news weekly HVG this week, which showed only a small fraction of Hungarian voters were likely to support Magyar if he were to launch a new party to challenge Orban.


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